REVIEW: McDonald’s Fish McBites

If my subscription to Men’s Health Magazine has taught me anything it’s that I should eat fish regularly and Men’s Health will never run out of six-pack abs articles. Never.

My fish intake involves me consuming salmon once a week, occasionally enjoying sushi that’s served on a conveyor belt, and eating a local delicacy called poke (pronounced POH-keh), which is raw fish mixed with spices, sauces, and onions. However, my recent fish intake included McDonald’s Fish McBites.

Yes, I know breaded fried fish is probably not what Men’s Health Magazine had in mind when it comes to fish I should eat. But I also learned from reading Men’s Health that it’s okay to cheat once in a while.

Or maybe I read that in Infidelity Monthly Magazine, which, by the way, will never run out of how to cheat articles. Never.

The fish inside each Fish McBite is pollock (or Colin if you live in the UK), which is the same fish found in McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish and most frozen fish sticks. If you’re into sustainable food production, McDonald’s recently announced that the wild-caught Alaskan pollock they use is now Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified. That means McDonald’s gets its fish from suppliers that have to meet strict MSC standards. What are those standards? You ask too many questions. Read this.

The Fish McBites’ breaded exterior is different than what’s on McDonald’s Chicken McBites. It looks more like Shake & Bake than fried chicken. Also, while the Chicken McBites came in a salmagundi of sizes and shapes, the Fish McBites’ size and shape are uniform. The breading gives the popcorn fish a nice crunch, but I thought it lacked flavor. I would’ve liked it to have enough flavor that I wouldn’t feel the need to dip it into the provided tartar sauce.

The fish encased in the crunchy, somewhat flavorless breading is flaky. No. Super flaky. It falls apart so easily that it’s extremely hard to double dip these Fish McBites. Also, the breading has a hard time sticking to the fish. So if you’re a double dipper, you’re going to experience pieces of fish and/or breading falling into your container of tartar sauce and using your fingers to fish (pun not intended…okay it was) them out. Of course, this isn’t a problem if you dip one into the tartar sauce and then pop the whole thing in your mouth.

If you enjoy Filet-o-Fish sandwiches, then you’ll know how fishy these taste. I thought the Fish McBites and tartar sauce combination was tasty, but, again, I do wish the breading had a stronger flavor to make them taste less similar to a McDonald’s fish sandwich. If you do try them, might I recommend getting them with a different sauce or ordering some McDonald’s fries with them, breaking out a bottle of malt vinegar, and McHacking some fish ‘n chips.

Item: McDonald’s Fish McBitesPurchased Price: $3.99Size: Regular SizePurchased at: McDonald’sRating: 6 out of 10Pros: Fish McBites and tartar sauce combo was tasty. Slightly better for you than Chicken McBites. Pleasantly crunchy exterior. Uniform shape and size. Eating fish once a week, but not fried fish.Cons: Easily falls apart, making them hard to double dip. Breading needs more flavor. Super flaky. Breading doesn’t stick to fish well. Fishing out pieces of fish and breading from the container of tartar sauce. I don’t have six pack abs after years of having a Men’s Health subscription.

Tried these today as I need to eat more fish too. I really liked them. I used no sauce and I just popped them in one at a time. I think the flavor and crunch work. They taste much better than the filet o fish. I am watching my sodium intake and (when forced to eat at McD) I have been getting the hamburger happy meal since it has the lowest sodium and had been the least bad offender that wasn’t a salad. The snack size fish comes with 10 pieces and is about the same fat, calories and sodium as the hamburger (not cheese burger). And the fish bite happy meal comes with 7 pieces and (obviously) has less fat, calories and sodium. It is a nice alternative. Hopefully my 5 year old will like them. I just saw the pink goo that is bleached and pressed into the form of chicken mcnuggets and they are gross. So maybe these will be a good alternative.

I tried them, and they were exactly as you described. Not bad, not great, yet a welcome addition in my quest for 6-pack abs, fast food style. lol

When I blog a review of them, I’ll certainly “McHack” them as you say, and turn them into McFish ‘N Chips, ala Fish McBites, where for the sauce, I’ll certainly use Cocktail Sauce, while also adding a lemon wedge for an acidic kick.

Apparently Fish McBite’s are significant enough for the company to hire the folks of Travel Channel’s “Sand Masters” to fly to Hawaii and make a massive sand McSculpture on the product at Ala Moana Beach Park.

I’ll pass on these disgusting little wads of deep fried garbage that is the perfect size to lodge in your throat or clog your aorta. Why do we need to turn every normal food into “bite size”? Is this so we can use the drive through to eat in our cars rather than force ourselves on the brutal death march of 30 feet from the parking space to the restaurant counter?

Loved them! Tried them at lunch today (snack size) with the $1 salad (also bought a pack for a filet-o-fish lover). We both thought they were good. P.S. Shape magazine doesn’t give you a six-pack either…..just sayin’….

You’re right: they’re tough to double dip. In fact, I found them almost impossible to single dip without using a fork. Just too bleepin’ small and too disintegrating. Big problem. I’ve read that all McD’s fish comes from one large North Pacific fishing ship that is a floating fish-filet factory. Scary thought.